Photo: AFP

SUBLIME TOUCH: Ricky Ponting lit up his team's title defence with a century and in the process also became the first person to score 1,000 runs in World Cups.

BASSETERRE: Ricky Ponting hit 113 to become the sixth batsman to reach 1,000 World Cup runs on Wednesday and steer Australia to 334 for six in its opening Group A game against Scotland.

The Australia captain, who was dropped on 23 by wicketkeeper Colin Smith, stroked five sixes and nine boundaries from 93 balls for his fourth World Cup century before being bowled in the 46th over.

It was Ponting's first tournament hundred against a non Test-playing nation and second in consecutive World Cup innings — he had scored an unbeaten 140 in the 2003 final.

His five sixes took him to 24 in the World Cup, beating Sourav Ganguly's record of 23.

Matthew Hayden (60) and Adam Gilchrist (46) had an opening 91-run stand inside 17 overs before both were out lbw, and Michael Clarke was bowled for 15 after putting on 54 with Ponting.

Brad Hodge (29) was caught on the long-on boundary following a 63-run stand with his captain while Michael Hussey was stumped for 4 in a decision referred to the third umpire at Warner Park.

Wright bowls well

Offspinning allrounder Majid Haq took 2-49 off seven overs, but Scotland captain Craig Wright was the pick of the bowlers, slowing the scoring in his spells and dismissing Ponting after winning the toss and sending Australia in.

Australia named Shaun Tait, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken in a three-man pace attack, leaving out Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson.

Andrew Symonds was not considered, as he recovers from an injury to his biceps.

John Blain and Gavin Hamilton were the only Scottish players returning from the team's six-wicket defeat to Australia at the 1999 World Cup, where Blain dismissed Ponting for 33.

Wright came on in the 10th over to replace Blain after his four overs while Hoffman bowled eight overs straight as Scotland opted to use both power-plays from the 10th over onward.

On the last ball of the 16th — Dougie Brown's first over — Gilchrist tried to slog across the line to midwicket, missed, and was hit on the back pad.

Ponting got off the mark with a midwicket boundary to join Sachin Tendulkar, Javed Miandad, Aravinda de Silva, Viv Richards and Mark Waugh in the elite 1,000-run club.

Hayden reached his 30th one-day 50 off 58 balls as Wright came off after six overs to allow left-arm finger-spinner Glenn Rogers to bowl against his native country.

Ponting was then dropped by Smith standing up to the stumps to Brown.

In the 27th over, Hayden played down the wrong line in a forward defensive shot to a ball from Haq.

Blow

Rogers conceded 24 runs in three overs and was due to be replaced but Blain injured himself as he ran in to bowl the first ball and had to leave the field — with Wright taking over.

Three balls after a drinks break, Clarke went to pull a faster, short-pitched delivery from Haq, but played all over it and was clean bowled.

No overs were lost by a 30-minute rain delay that interrupted the 41st, but Hodge was out three overs later.

Ponting brought up his 23rd one-day hundred in the 44th over off just 85 balls. But two over later, he missed an off-cutter from Wright and lost his off-stump with Australia on 274.

Brad Hogg (40 off 15 balls) and Shane Watson (18) took 17 off the 49th over and 24 off the 50th to power Australia past 300. — AP

SCOREBOARD

Australia: A. Gilchrist lbw b Brown 46, M. Hayden lbw b Haq 60, R. Ponting b Wright 113, M. Clarke b Haq 15, B. Hodge c Hoffman b Rogers 29, M. Hussey st Smith b Hoffman 4, S. Watson (not out) 18, B. Hogg (not out) 40, Extras (b-1, lb-2, nb-1, w-5): 9; Total (for six wkts. in 50 overs) 334.

Fall of wickets: 1-91, 2-139, 3-193, 4-256 (Hodge), 5-274, 6-276.

Scotland bowling: Hoffmann 10-0-57-1, Blain 4-0-29-0, Wright 10-0-58-1, Brown 9-0-86-1, Rogers 10-0-52-1, Haq 7-0-49-2.

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